Loving me is like straightening curls...

I eat boys up, breakfast and lunch....

... Then when I'm thirsty, I drink their blood...

Carnivore animal, I am a cannibal...

...I eat boys up, you better run...

.... I have a heart, I swear I do, but just not baby when it comes to you....

If you want my curls, use this... 

Cause few people in this world can rock both curly and straight hair. If you're one of the few who can, embrace it. 

Embrace the inner cannibal. ;)

CD Review: Melody Gardot - Worrisome Heart

Genre: Jazz/blues
Running time: 33 minutes, 10 tracks
Perceived as: Mature, soothing, sexy, sophisticated, soulful, and unassuming.
Perfect for: Unwinding after a long, stressful day with a glass of Pinot Grigio or Sangria.
Sounds like: Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Nina Simone
About the artist: You couldn’t really tell by her deep, soulful voice, but Melody Gardot is only 26 years old. She suffered a serious accident when she was 19, which left her bedridden for about a year as she recovered from multiple (head, spinal, and pelvic) injuries. Furthermore, the accident caused a series of neurological disorders, such as memory loss and hypersensitivity to light and sound. A doctor recommended that she start music therapy in order to accelerate her recovery, and as life would have it, this served as the catalyst for her musical career to kick off.  Something that particularly struck a chord with me when reading her biography was that despite being American, she describes herself as a “citizen of the world,” which is something that I always say about myself. Furthermore, she claims to be a Buddhist, which is yet another thing that I found very interesting, since I've always held that several Buddhist precepts and beliefs are compatible with my lifestyle and with the paradigm through which I view the world.
Favorite Tracks: “All that I need is love” and “Gone”

Picture Challenge: Days 45 - 51

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 45: A picture of your room.

              

My bookcase/desk is a bit messy - but that's only because I have TOO many books! I need a much bigger bookcase!

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 46: A picture of where you wish you were right now.

I'm not gonna lie, I'd love to be in New York City right about now. I continue to dream about New York. 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 47: A picture of your favorite place to shop.

My favorite place to shop would definitely have to be Dadeland Mall in Miami because I can find all of my favorite stores there (except H&M, of course.) 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 48:  A picture of your favorite actress/actor.

Natalie Portman is my favorite actress because of her versatility, elegance, and intelligence (she went to Harvard and speaks multiple languages!) 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 49: A picture of where you live.

An aerial view of one of the main streets here in San Pedro Sula. Doesn't seem very exciting, does it?

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 50: A picture of your most frequented place.

This is the 'Centro Social Hodureño Arabe.' In English, the term most appropriate for what it really is would be "country club." It's my most frequented place because it's where my gym is at. 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 51:  A picture of your dream car.

This baby is the Aston Martin Vanquish S Ultimate. An Aston Martin was featured in Casino Royale and since then, I've been fascinated with them. Just look at it. 

Day 44

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 44: A picture of someone you’re told you look like.

Lots of people have told me that I look like Kelly Clarkson. And though I can see why they would say that - I think that she and I have the same "type," I have to politely disagree. I think that my features are prettier, and slightly  more delicate, than hers. 

A few others have said that I look like Joss Stone. Maybe I'd look more like her if I were blond? Again, I can see some similarities between certain facial features, but I don't completely agree. 

I think I look a lot more like this girl. She's a Brazilian actress (I don't remember her name. She was part of the cast of a Brazilian soap opera my mom used to watch.) 

What do you think?

Day 43

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 43: A picture of something you can’t function without.

I often wonder how we (as a human race) functioned without personal computers. Last night, as I was trying to fall asleep, I was thinking of a time when I didn't depend on my laptop, because to be completely honest, I depend on my laptop for almost everything these days (read the news and stay up-to-date on current affairs, keep in touch with my loved ones who are far away, download/listen to music, etc.) So, what did I do to pass the time when I didn't have a computer? How did I stay connected to the rest of the world? And you know what I realized, that I've had my own personal computer since I was about 9 years old (and before getting an actual computer, I always had one of those kid computers, the VTechs and the whatnots.) Granted, back then I only used it to play video games, but the point is that I've always been highly dependent on technology. I guess that for me, the greatest value that a computer has is its potential as an educational tool. I can't even tell you how many audiobooks I've downloaded in the last year, let alone how many eBooks or PDFs I've read. Lately, in my attempt to become fluent in multiple languages, I've been getting into podcasts a lot too! Anyways, I'd definitely say that my MacBook is currently the item that I simply could not function without.  

Tips for preventing holiday weight gain

The average person tends to gain about 2-5 pounds during the holidays. However, very few people try to actually lose those pounds afterwards. Also, those that do try to lose them quickly find that it’s quite a difficult task. So, I propose that we not gain any weight in the first place (or at least to try to minimize the damage.) And to help in this endeavor, I’m giving you some of my tips for preventing holiday weight gain. Last year I actually lost 3 pounds during the holidays, so I can assure you that holiday weight gain is not something that's inevitable. Try to implement as much of these as you can, not only during the holidays, but in your regular day-to-day life as well.    

1. Stay hydrated. Much of the weight that we do gain during the holidays is water weight. So, a way to avoid carrying excess amounts of water in us is simply to increase our daily intake of water. Not to mention that we already know how water helps flush the toxins out. Also, I find that when I don’t drink the amount of water that I’m supposed to in a day, I feel lousy, which leads me to overeating.

2. Avoid the sugary holiday snacks. Instead, snack on fruits and veggies. People often underestimate the massive amounts of calories found in all those sugary holidays snacks (cinnamon buns, gingerbread cookies, chocolate treats, sugar cookies, etc.) In addition to the obvious, the fiber provided to us by fruits and vegetables will help us stay fuller for longer, helping us to curb mindless eating.

3. Eat as you normally would. In the past, I would starve myself during the day on Christmas Eve just so that I wouldn’t feel guilty for having an over-indulgent dinner. However, little did I know that this led me to overeating. It’s better to stick to your regular diet during the day because that way you won’t be as hungry and are less likely to overindulge at dinnertime.

4. Workout. With all the Christmas shopping, holiday parties and get-togethers, this is one of the busiest times of the year. That said, try to squeeze in a workout everyday during the season, especially on Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Working out will make you feel better and you’ll get the added benefit of burning a few calories in the process.

5. Don’t drink your calories. Avoid eggnog, the holiday drinks at Starbucks (peppermint mocha, gingerbread latte, etc.), and mixed alcoholic drinks. During the holidays, our consumption of alcoholic beverages also tends to increase. I’m not telling you to stop drinking completely; I know I’ll certainly be having a drink or two. But, I do recommend that you stick to wine and champagne, avoiding the mixed cocktails as much as you can. If you’re still dying to have a cocktail, then I’d do research on how to make your favorite one a bit less caloric (i.e., use Coke Zero instead of the regular one for your rum and coke, etc.)

6. Relax! Be mindful of what you’re eating, but also remember that this is the season to spend some quality time with your loved ones, and that food will always be around. Try not to see food as an enemy that must be defeated, but as something that we need, and something that makes life a bit more enjoyable. I’ve found that the more I stress out about losing weight, the harder it becomes for the weight to come off. Not only that, but it also leads me to insomnia, which isn’t good for weight loss either. So yea, a few indulgences here and there won’t be completely disastrous. Again, be mindful of what you eat, and try not to indulge every single day – it’s when we constantly make poor choices that our weight starts to slowly creep up.

Days 37 - 42

I've been in somewhat of a slump lately, and didn't really feel like blogging, so I apologize for my lack of posts in the previous week. I'm doing a lot better now - I think I've finally figure out how to get myself out of these funks I get in from time to time. It involves a lot of positive self-talk and many, many hours in the gym, in case you're wondering. ;) Anyways, I'm back and I've brought with me all the posts that I missed.

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 37: A picture of the people you spend most of your time with

I spent about 6 years living in the United States, and though I'd always come home for the holidays and for summer vacation, I truly missed feeling that I was a part of a family. I've been back in Honduras for about a year now, and although there are certain moments when I get frustrated and upset with them, I voluntarily choose to spend most of my time with my family. I don't know where this life is going to take me, but I'm fairly certain that I don't belong in Honduras. As such, I know that there will come a day when I will leave this place yet again. I hope that wherever I end up, I have my family close to me, but I know that there's a chance that that won't happen. Therefore, I'm soaking up every moment I get to spent with my family now, making even more precious memories in the process. 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 38: A picture of the best part of your day

Even though I have trouble sleeping, the best part of my day is probably when I sleep. And that's probably the reason why I value sleeping so much, too. Because it is VERY rare for me to get 8 hours of sleep, I cherish whatever few hours I get. LOL. That said, I have to admit that my favorite time of the day varies on a day-to-day basis. I also enjoy that first sip of coffee in the morning quite a lot. 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 39: A picture of your favorite movie

"Amélie is a story about a girl named Amélie whose childhood was suppressed by her Father's mistaken concerns of a heart defect. With these concerns Amélie gets hardly any real life contact with other people. This leads Amélie to resort to her own fantastical world and dreams of love and beauty. She later on becomes a young woman and moves to the central part of Paris as a waitress. After finding a lost treasure belonging to the former occupant of her apartment, she decides to return it to him. After seeing his reaction and his new found perspective, she decides to devote her life to the people around her. Such as, her father who is obsessed with his garden-gnome, a failed writer, a hypochondriac, a man who stalks his ex girlfriends, the "ghost", a suppressed young soul, the love of her life and a man whose bones are as brittle as glass."

I first saw Amelie when I was a senior in high school, and it's been my favorite movie ever since. I think that what I like the most about it is the fact that it's a simple storyline, with quirky characters that everyone can relate to. But, at the same time, it encourages the viewers to indulge in their own fantasies. Also, even though the plot itself is simple, what really makes the film are all the little details it contains. And of course, because I am a romantic deep down, I am enthralled with the romantic storyline, which touches upon the idea of soul mates. 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 40: A picture of your favorite Disney character

I always identified with Belle, mostly because of her love for reading, but also because she constantly longed to get out of her small, provincial town and was always dreaming of exotic, faraway places. Also, I just find the entire story of "Beauty and the Beast" to be very endearing, and I always found Belle to be a lovable character. 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 41: A picture of your pet

This is Fiona, my pet bulldog. We got her in 2006, making her 5 years old. I just love her and whenever I'm not in Honduras, I miss playing with her so much. Let me just mention that she's very well trained. If she needs to use the bathroom, she'll go to the door and try har to get our attention until we open it for her. 

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 42: A picture of your dream house

It's no secret that I want to live in New York City. Therefore, my dream house would probably be a luxurious penthouse overlooking the entire city. The apartment itself isn't so important, I'm sure I'd be able to work with whatever I'm given. However, I definitely want the view to be amazing!

Days 34, 35, and 36

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 34: A picture of your currently most played CD.

I'm sure that I've mentioned this many times already, but I love Christmas music!!! Christmas music is just so uplifting and cheerful, that I find it hard to believe that some people don't like it. I mean, holiday cheer is contagious, and in my household, Christmas music plays a huge part of the festivities. Now that this has been established, let me add that I adore Michael Bublé. I think he should come sing me to sleep every night. He has such a soothing voice and is an amazing performer - I saw him in concert last year! Anyways, you add the two together, get his Christmas album, and voila - there you have my current most played CD. I truly do recommend it. My favorite song on it is "Cold December Night," which Bublé wrote himself. I love the fact that it's a NEW Christmas song!

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 35: A picture of your favorite place to eat.

I know that the question isn't "What is your favorite restaurant?" in which case, I'd still post the same picture, but every time that I've been to Sushiko to eat, I've had an amazing time. Most of my friends are as in love with Japanese culture (and food) as I am, so whenever we get together and have a meal at Sushiko, it's always led to the creation of very pleasant memories. My best friend Danny and I had a tradition in which we'd go to Sushiko to have eel rolls and tempura! It was out of this world!

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 36: A picture of your ‘other half'.

I don't have a person that I could call my "other half." And it's okay. I'm focusing on loving myself at the moment, for I truly think that one cannot love another person before loving himself/herself first. And that is why I posted a picture of me. :)

Friend Questionnaire

Me answering questions about, you guessed it, me:

1. What human quality do you rate the highest?

2. What faults do you find easiest to forgive?

3. What quality best helps a person get on in life?

4. What do you regard as life's greatest boon?

5. What would you miss most in life?

6. What do you think of present day Western Civilisation?

7. What do you consider the most important invention in the history of man?

8. Do you belong to any religious denomination? If so, which?

9. What do you consider the first essential of a happy marriage?

10. What historical figure do you admire the most and why?

11. What classic work of art has impress you the most?

12. Name 5 of your fav' books

13. What are your fav' flowers?

14. What is your fav' colour?

15. What is your fav' animal?

16. What is your fav' exercise?

17. What weather and season do you like the most?

18. What is your fav' food and drink?

19. what is your fav' recreation?

20. What is your motto in life ?

*I missed number 4. Whoopsy! My answer to "What is life's greatest boon/blessing?" would be Family.

Antes de las seis

I haven't posted one of my cover songs on here in the longest. I'm always recording songs, though. So, check out my YouTube channel if you haven't done so already (www.youtube.com/user/aerisbandy). Anyways, here's my latest cover, Shakira's "Antes de las seis."

No actues tan extraño

Duro como una roca

Si te mostré pedazos de piel

Que la luz de sol aun no toca

Y tantos lunares que ni yo misma conocía

Te mostré mi fuerza bruta

Mi talón de Aquiles, mi poesía

¿Qué harás?

Sólo una historia más

¿Qué haré

Si no te vuelvo a ver?

Si desde el día en que no estás

Vi la noche llegar mucho antes de las seis

Si desde el día en que no estás

Vi la noche llegar mucho antes de las seis

Mucho antes

No dejes el barco

Tanto antes de que zarpemos

Hacia alguna isla desierta

Y después, después veremos

Si me ves desarmada

¿Por qué lanzas tus misiles?

Si ya conoces mis puntos cardinales

Los más sensibles y sutiles

¿Qué harás?

La vida lo dirá

¿Qué haré

Si no te vuelvo a ver?

Si desde el día en que no estás

Vi la noche llegar mucho antes de las seis

Si desde el día en que no estás

Vi la noche llegar mucho antes de las seis

Mucho antes de las seis

Mucho antes

Days 31, 32, and 33

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 31: A picture of a tradition you have.

My brothers and I get together to smoke the hookah just about every night. It's the time in which we bond and talk about our day/life in general. I know it probably isn't the healthiest of traditions, to be smoking every night, but what can I say? We all have a few guilty pleasures.

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 32: A picture of a crazy night.

This picture was taken on 5 de Mayo 2010. Some cousins from Honduras where in Miami and although I had to work the following day, I decided to join in on the 5 de Mayo celebrations. We went to a few bars in Coconut Grove (we're at Sandbar in this picture.) However, we had so much to drink that we had to go to Denny's to have incredibly greasy food to sober up. I think you can tell by all of our expressions just how happy/tipsy we were. Anyways, after the festivities, I went back home and napped for about an hour. When I woke up, I showered, had some red bull, and went to work like a champ. Good times.

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 33: A picture of the house you grew up in.

I don't have a front shot of the house in which I grew up in, so this is as close as it gets. I lived in this house until I was about 10-11 years old. Then we moved to the house that we're currently at, which is much roomier.

Day 30

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 30: A picture of someone you miss.

The two people I currently miss the most: my sister from another mister and my brother from another mother. We've been friends since 2007, and I know this is just the beginning of a wonderful journey together. <3

30 Day Song Challenge - Day 30: Your favorite song at this time last year.

I was addicted to this song last year, not just because I like Eminem, but because I felt the lyrics related to a rough situation I was going through. Back then I really was going through a dark period in my life, and I'm so glad it's over...

We touch I feel a rush

We clutch and it isn't much

But it's enough to make me wonder what's in store for us

It's lust, it's torturous

You must be a sorceress 'cause you just

Did the impossible

Gained my trust don't play games it'll be dangerous

If you fuck me over

'Cause if I get burnt I'm a show you what it's like to hurt

'Cause I been treated like dirt before you

And love is "evol"

Spell it backwards I'll show you

Nobody knows me I'm cold

Walk down this road all alone

It's no one's fault but my own

It's the path I've chosen to go

Frozen as snow I show no emotion whatsoever so

Don't ask me why I have no love for these motherfucking hoes

Bloodsucking succubuses, what the fuck is up with this?

I've tried in this department but I ain't had no luck with this

It sucks but it's exactly what I thought it would be

Like trying to start over

I've got a hole in my heart, for some kind of emotional rollercoaster

Something I won't go on 'til you toy with my emotion, so it's over

It's like an explosion every time I hold you, I wasn't joking when I told you

You take my breath away

You're a supernova... and I'm a

I'm a space bound rocket ship and your heart's the moon

And I'm aiming right at you

Right at you

Two hundred fifty thousand miles on a clear night in June

And I'm aiming right at you

Right at you

Right at you

Day 29

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 29: A picture that can always make you smile.

There are so many pictures that genuinely make me smile. I literally spent a good 30 minutes looking all over my Facebook albums to find a picture that stood out, and although I had several options, I ended up choosing this one.

This picture was taken on June 4, 2007, my 21st birthday, which I celebrated IN JAPAN! As I mentioned in a previous post, going to Japan has been the most memorable experience in my life thus far, and getting to celebrate my birthday there was just the icing on the cake.

A BIG group of friends and I went to an "all-you-can-drink" restaurant and, as you can tell from the picture, ended up having a blast. Afterwards, we went to a karaoke joint to have even more fun. Anyways, I think this picture captures the essence of the entire night.

30 Day Song Challenge - Day 29: A song from your childhood.

Kabah is a Mexican pop group and if I'm not mistaken, their album was one of the first ones I ever bought. Although to be completely honest, the first album I bought was one by Ace of Base. Anyways, I picked this song because of its fantastical elements. I've always been a dreamer, and when I was a child, I used to daydream all the time about being a princess and being surrounded by all sorts of fantastical creatures (I swear I'm not crazy, though. Just have an overactive imagination.) Therefore, this song with its "La calle de las sirenas" (Street of the Sirens) title is very relevant to my childhood.

Day 28

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 28: A picture of something you 're afraid of.

You may have noticed this about me, but I'm quite honestly simply not the type of girl that is scared of many things. However, I'm sincerely terrified of growing old and getting Alzheimer's. My brain is my most valuable asset and I don't know what I would do if one day it suddenly started to deteriorate. Also, I believe that in old age, one's memories become significantly more important. But, what would happen if you lost all of your precious memories? Alzheimer's is expected to affect 1 out 85 people by 2050. Now, those are some scary figures. With Alzheimer's, not only does it lead to death, but you become irrelevant and a burden to those you love. Yea, the more I think about it, the more I'm certain that Alzheimer's/dementia is the thing that I'm most terrified of.

30 Day Song Challenge - Day 28: A song that makes you feel guilty.

I honestly try to lead my life in a very careful and controlled way that will make me have as less guilt as possible. However, I'm only human. This selection is actually one that I won't go into detail about, but I'm sure that some of you smart cookies out there will figure out what situation this song is alluding to.

Two dots,

Joined by a line,

May be detached

By a crime...

Who is responsible when the line is stretched?

Who is responsible when it becomes a triangle?

How irresponsible when the line is stretched.

How irresponsible when it becomes a triangle.

Day 27

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 27: A picture of yourself and a family member.

This is my mother's mom. Her name is Vilma and contrary to what you guys might expect, I don't call her "abuela." When I was younger, she would call me "amores," and whenever I tried to imitate her, what would come out of my mouth instead was "moyes." Soon enough, every single one of her grandchildren started calling her that too. She also calls me "moyes" in return, and I'm actually her favorite granddaughter (she's even quite vocal about it - if you ask her, she'll tell you that I'm her favorite, haha.) The first picture was taken in 1987 at my first birthday celebration. The second was taken on Christmas of last year. She is one of the strongest women I know. Actually, I didn't mention this previously, but she just won the battle against skin cancer. Both of my grandpas are already dead, but I'm blessed to say that I've still got my two grandmas alive and well - just hoping that they'll be next to me for many more years.

30 Day Song Challenge - Day 27: A song that you wish you could play.

I would love to be able to play the piano in this. As much as I love pop music, I think this is the music of my dreams. I mean, I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't like Tchaikovsky. I remember when I was a little girl, I would play Tchaikovsky's "Valse des Fleurs" from the Nutcracker Suite over and over again as I pretended to be a ballerina. Truly beautiful music.

Day 26

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 26: A picture of something that means a lot to you

Family. 家族. Famiglia.

My family is everything to me. I would be absolutely nothing without these individuals right here. However, I feel very blessed in saying that I truly feel as if I have 2 families - those who are related to me by blood, and those who I've hand-picked to be my accomplices in this journey called life. So, I present to you my second family (plus/minus a few - I don't have any one picture with all of you in it, sorry!) These are the people who have served as my support system when my actual blood family wasn't around, and who have continued to play an essential role in my life, despite the distance that separates us. <3

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 26: A song that you can play on an instrument

I don't like telling this to very many people, because quite honestly, I'm not very good at it, but I actually taught myself how to play the piano. Those of you who have played Final Fantasy know that every game in the series has a theme song, and when I was younger, I used to spend hours at the piano (I do have a piano in my house - picture below), trying to figure out the melody by ear. Later on, in high school and college, I actually took musical notation classes and finally learned how to read music. However, despite my love for the piano (and somewhat regrettably), I never made it a priority to take lessons.

Anyways, long story short, other than the Final Fantasy theme songs, I learned how to play this piece, which is related to the holidays and that some of you may recognize as "What Child is this?"

Marry the night

Last night we had a dinner party at chez moi (that's French for my house.) Family is very important to me and I truly regret the fact that while I was studying in Miami, only a very select few got the chance to meet my parents and/or brothers. I've always said that if I had studied in Honduras, or if my family had been living with me in Miami while I went to university, my collegiate experience would've been very different. Furthermore, I really would've liked to have shared with my friends this aspect of my life - I think it would've helped them get a better sense of my lifestyle and why I am the way that I am. But alas, it was not possible. So, I decided to share some of the pictures from last night, in hopes that you can all get a better idea of what it means to have a Bandy family celebration (and also to motivate you to come visit me, hehe. ) My family is fun, and although we're Hispanic, we like to keep it classy! ;)

And the food was to die for, if I may say so myself. The menu for the night:

Appetizers: sauteed mushrooms, tomato bruschettas, Asiago cheese, and salmon carpaccio.

Entree: Premium ribeye steaks with baked potatoes and salad.

Desserst: Blueberry flan, brownies, and lemon squares.

With my mother and my cousin Janina.

My younger brother and his girlfriend. Ah, l'amour... :)

With my cousins, Kristian (far left) and Ricardo (far right), and my older brother, Michael

Always gonna be daddy's little girl. :)

Candid!

The pool area

We're a Middle Eastern family - no reunion would be complete without a hookah! Hehe

I'm gonna marry the night, I won't give up on my life. I'm a warrior queen, live passionately tonight...

XOXO